News, events, articles, and other information relating to the Mid-Atlantic region of the US.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Mid Atlantic Fracking Controversy

A hot issue in the Mid Atlantic USA is the practice of "fracking". Wikipedia defines Hydraulic fracturing or "fracking") as:

"a process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks. The fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations to increase the rate and ultimate recovery of oil and natural gas.

"Hydraulic fractures may be natural or man-made and are extended by internal fluid pressure which opens the fracture and causes it to extend through the rock."

One staunch opponent of fracking in the USA, including Mid Atlantic states is Food and Water Watch, a national environmental rights organization.

According to FWW:

"Last week, on the anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout, a fracking well in Bradford County, Pennsylvania had its own blowout, leaking toxic fracking fluid onto nearby farmland and into a local stream. Seven families had to evacuate their homes and the spill caused Chesapeake Energy, the second largest natural gas producer in the country — and the operator of this well — to suspend fracking in the state of Pennsylvania until they can figure out what caused the blowout."

The issue has gotten considerable attention following worldwide disasters such as the 2010 BP Atlantis oil spill and more recently the Nuclear reactor crisis in Japan.

UPDATE

In May, 2011, members of the U.S. House of Representatives urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a thorough environmental assessment of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River Basin before allowing a potential 20,000 shale gas wells to be drilled in the area.